Finding the Best External SSDs for M4 Mac Mini: Real-World Tests & Shocking Results!

Discover the truth about external SSDs for the M4 Mac Mini! In this video, I test the SanDisk Extreme, Crucial X10 Pro, and OWC Thunderbolt 4 SSDs to see how they perform in real-world scenarios. From speed tests to durability and thermal throttling, find out which drive is worth your money—and which ones fall short. Don't miss these surprising results!

💵 Product Links

paired with

What You’ll Learn:

- Which SSD delivers the fastest real-world speeds on the M4 Mac Mini.
- How macOS impacts SSD performance and what to watch out for.
- The truth about advertised vs. actual read/write speeds.
- Which SSDs handle large file transfers and heavy workloads best.
- Pros and cons of portability, durability, and price for each SSD.

🌐 SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

#MacMini #ExternalSSD #StorageUpgrade #SSDComparison #MacTips #TechReview #SanDiskExtreme #CrucialX10Pro #OWCEnclosure #SSDSpeedTest #MacOS #TechTips #FileTransfer #ThermalThrottling #PortableStorage

[JimBoomer]

I just got my OWC 1M2 + WD Black 8TB ($550 Black Friday deal!). LOVE IT SO FAR!!!

[stevetodd]

Many SSDs these days use a fast pseudo SLC section of the drive for fast writing, but move data off to QLC storage as a background task. This is much slower than SLC writes, so once the SLC region fills up the drive will slow down to the speed of QLC. The other factor that can influence speeds is whether or not the drive controller has a DRAM cache or not. Obviously not on the Mini, which controls the SSD directly from the SoC, but an M.2 drive with a DRAM cache has more flexibility as to when to write out SSD blocks and in which order, plus it can read in fast bursts to the DRAM ahead of the CPU requesting data, so improving effective throughput.

[JoJo-ndxi]

👍The best detailed test I have seen on this important topic, great work❣️ 👌
Thanks an warm regards from 🇨🇭
JoJo🙏

[nevvanclarke]

4 TB is the go never had a SanDisk fail 😮

[arserkal]

Great video … I appreciate all the work put into comparing the different drive. Thank you 🙏

[kabirnanavati]

I'm planning to buy the Crucial X9 Pro, and keep it plugged into my Mac Mini to run Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects and Lightroom etc. files from the X9 Pro and not store anything on the internal SSD accept the applications thai i install since its only 256GB. Will this setup run smoothly if i format it in APFS and use it daily without swithcing off my Mac Mini? I plan to keep this as my primary setup with the X9 Pro plugged in at all times.

[DennisdeCaccia]

Did you use the connectors on the front or back. They are different and have different speeds of transfer.

[seanohaimheirgin]

The Sandisk is being flagged as untrustworthy on many channels at the moment. And the life of an ssd is generally determined by heat

[daddadc-ejtl]

what file format was used for the test, exFat or APFS?

[seanohaimheirgin]

The slow speeds when moving large files sounds like a cache issue. After the process signals that it has finished there are still processes running in the background.

[YaThinKnow]

M4 Mac mini w/256 ssd is slower than 512 on base and pro chip. They clock in at 4100 read and write for the internal ssd. Also, the pro’s memory bandwidth increases allowing 5000+. Just like the thunderbolt 5 external performance tests on the few manufacturers with enclosures. But only with the 1tb or higher. Typical Apple, the more the money the more the speed. The max gives you two ProRes codecs on chip so double the video processing power.

[odebroqueville]

I wouldn’t recommend the Sandisk, because I couldn’t launch macOS from this external SSD. Luckily I was able to exchange it for a Samsung T7 which worked fine.

[yinoveryang]

Yes. The Crucial XD SSD is currently receiving highly negative reviews in the UK, with numerous reports of frequent failures and data loss. Why specifically the UK? It’s likely due to a manufacturing issue or a problematic supplier producing substandard units. For now, the best advice is to avoid purchasing these drives on Amazon in the UK as of early 2025.

[atwajesper]

The WD SN770NVMe has worse cache performance than the SN850NVMe.

I bet the WD 850 would have given you better results with large files transfers.

[steveblanchard]

Does it really matter what SSD you use, you are saving a few to tens of seconds. It is the processing power of the M4 that matters and please don't forget the iMac M4.

[MasterChiefU]

These small enclosures build up heat fast for large files. So they will throttle down...Why RAID NAS 10GB port is for full time use..

[MatthiasHamilton]

the ssd sticks have different "generation" markings... do those matter as far as speed and optimal performance?

[goobfilmcast]

With Apple offering Thunderbolt 4 on its entry level devices it will serve to drive down the prices of TB4 peripherals. The entire PC community will benefit. The same will be true of Thunderbolt 5 as it becomes available in the mass market. Apple’s next step will be the introduction of MacBook Pros with ONLY USB-C / TB5 ports… no Legacy ports….each being completely agnostic whether you connect power or any I/O devices. The internal controller will handle it. Even MagSafe will go TB5.

[igonzalez]

why not use an Apple Time Capsule 5th Gen? I'm still using my 2TB TC

[idis]

Buy the cheapest 2 TB ssd (about $100). 2 or 3 years later buy a 8 TB at same price.